Water cycle hydrological cycle

Evaporation

Surface water from oceans, lakes, rivers, streams and moist soil is heated by the sun. As the water heats up, it evaporates (turns from liquid to gas)

Transpiration

Plants absorb liquid water through their roots and release it through their leaves as water vapour (gas)

Condensation

Water vapour turns back into liquid. As the evaporated and transpired water rises in the atmosphere, it cools down and turns into tiny water droplets

Precipitation

Precipitation occurs when water from the atmosphere falls back down to earth. When tiny water droplets in clouds coalesce (come together), they form big and heavy droplets which then fall as precipitation

Runoff

When precipitation falls on the ground, some of it is absorbed as groundwater

Biogeochemical cycle

The process by which matter cycles from the biotic components of the environment (living organisms) to the abiotic components of the environment (non living physical environment and back